Daisuke y sprawled on the cold, wooden floor. The relentless rain and screeg crickets outside were deafening, but it wasn’t enough to dull the violent maelstrom of thoughts raging in his mind.
Dammit! I feel so useless! In my previous life, at least I had a job and my programming skills. But here, I feel like nothing more than a helpless spectator.
All of a sudden, a faint scratg noise broke through his despair, stirring Daisuke from his stupor. He sat upright in time to witness a small kitten squeezing through a tiny hole at the bottom of the front door.
As the kitten wriggled its way in—successfully esg the frigid night’s rain—it paused to survey its surroundings before shaking off the water from its pitch-bck coat. Had Daisuke not noticed the scratg, the kitten would have easily blended into the room’s shadows without ever beied.
Advertising that he wasn’t a threat, Daisuke held his ground and simply observed. To his surprise, the kitten cautiously approached him, sniffing his finger as if to determine his nature, before tentatively lig his hand.
Daisuke beamed like a child at a ival, his fingers itg to pet the creature. However, he resisted the urge, deg it was best to give the kitten more time to trust him.
Is it domesticated? he wondered internally as the kitten boldly hopped onto his thigh and curled up in his p. Or maybe it’s just too young to be wary? Whatever the case, I appreciate the pany.
He observed as the feline’s olive-green eyes slowly closed, a warm smile spreading across his lips. “I don’t have any food to give you, but I hope you’ll sider staying with me for a while.”
***
Years drifted by, and Midnight became a regur visitor, arriving almost nightly while on the prowl for food. Though just a stray cat, incapable of speech or clear emotions, its presence was enough to ease Daisuke’s loneliness and preserve his sanity.
At some point, however, Midnight stopped ing. To an individual who was pletely ignorant about the world beyond these walls, it was an omen of the world’s unmistakable peril.
Yet cats were known for their capricious nature; it was a wonder Midnight had lingered as long as it did. It ossible the cat had found a mate or had simply moved on to greener pastures. Uain of the reason, Daisuke chose not to burden himself with unnecessary grief. The recurring nightmares of being chased and brutalized by loan sharks were already an unbearable burden for him to carry.
Despite the passage of years, Daisuke and his mother’s living ditions only deteriorated. Perhaps it was because she was no longer as young and desirable, but the physical abuse she endured grew increasingly severe.
By extension, Daisuke also felt more despair. But he knew his mother wouldertain any plea for ge unless he presented a feasible pn to sistently put food oable.
“Open!” he muttered with evident frustration, his fingers gesturing urgently. “Open Status Window!”
How many times had he uttered those words now? Hundreds? Thousands? Sihe moment he could articute the and without just spraying spit everywhere, Daisuke had been desperately trying to interface with the System, but to no avail.
Assuming this world was indeed a video game, being able to hunt monsters and perform quests would signifitly alter their lives.
“Then she wouldn’t o tinue doing this anymore…”
Suddenly, Daisuke’s heart lurched as he heard his mother’s scream pierg through the thin walls of the hut. His eyes widened, and his pulse raced at the unmistakable anguish in her voice.
He knew all too well the dahat lurked in his mother’s line of work, and she would always implore him o intervene, but her cry was so heart-wreng this time that he couldn’t ig.
Without a sed thought, Daisuke rushed forward and burst into the bedroom through the old door. The sight of his mother in distress fueled his determination to protect her.
The man raised his arm, i on striking her again, and Daisuke’s young but fierce spirit ignited as he withe man’s cruelty.
eling all his bravery, he quickly moved in behind the unsuspeg bastard and delivered a powerful kick to his saggials, causing him to colpse to his knees in excruciating pain.
“Ah, fuck! You goddamn brat!” he roared.
Seizing the moment, Daisuke hurried to his mother’s side on the bed. She was shaken and ed iangled sheets, her face stained with blood and tears. But, before he could ensure her safety, the man regained his footing.
ed, his face twisting into a ghastly mask, the man shed out at the source of his turmoil, his rage untrolble. A strht arm sent the child crashing into the floor, and then a barrage of heavy kicks and stomps assaulted his body without mercy.
Daisuke’s fingers vulsed with each attack, and his body writhed in pain, ragged breaths tearing from his lungs. His small frame was no match for the adult’s brute force.
As timid and hopeless as she was before, the mother’s temperament pletely ged the moment she spied her son in mortal danger.
In a desperate act of self-sacrifice, she took a daring leap of ce. She lu the vile man, unleashing all her pent-up rage and frustration. With an instinctive ferocity, she saeeth into his ear, tearing off a pie a wild attempt to protect her son and herself.
“You wh bitch!”
The bastard let out a scream of agony, shocked by the retaliation. The pain and arm in his eyes were evident as he clutched his bleeding ear. Overwhelmed by the injury and the ued resistance, he clumsily grabbed his clothing and fled like a ered dog.
“You’ll both pay dearly for this!” He threatened o time before he was out of sight and sound.
Ign the ominous warning, Daisuke’s mother rushed over to his still fathering him up in her arms while shedding tears and apologizing profusely.
Daisuke had hoped the traumatiter would prompt a ge in the woman’s lifestyle, but it was wishful thinking. Like the Robinsons, she was as stubborn as a mule. As soon as the swelling on her face subsided and the bruises faded slightly, she returo work.
However, one signifit ge did occur because of the i: Daisuke was no longer afraid of the unknown.
After beien to an inch of his life a with a death threat, he resolved to beore spontaneous and daring.
Caution was a necessary virtue, but excessive caution could lead to stagnation and missed opportunities. If he wanted answers or ge, he o bravely seize them.
And so, for the first time since his birth, Daisuke made the scious decision to step outside. His heart raced in his chest as he took a deep breath and pushed the wooden door open. A rush of hot air greeted his face, causing him to squint against the brightness of the sun’s rays, which were stronger and harsher than anything he had experienced in the past seven years.
He felt a surge of fear and curiosity as he waited for his eyes to adjust. And, when they did, he gasped.
A bleak and barren ndscape, full of dirt and trash, filled his gaze. The slums were a maze of shacks and crude dwellings made of hide, crammed together in a chaotid crowded fashion.
People dotted the streets. They were filthy and ragged, garbed in torn clothes and carrying bags or baskets loaded with what they had sged. The uhiest of them were begging, others were talking, arguing, hting, and most were sleeping the day areserving the little energy they had in the face of the broiling sun.
Daisuke felt a pang of sadness and pity at the realization that this was his home. In the midst of this depressing unity is where he had been living for the past few years. He wondered if there was anythier out there, or if this was all there was to this mysterious world.
For a moment, he wondered if he was in hell, but then shook his head and tried to focus on his goal.
First thing’s first, he thought to himself. I need information. What’s happeo me wait. My priority right now is to figure out a way to bee self-suffit, for both mom and me.
Fear of monsters & the unknown: 91.6%